Tony Pittman
Encyclopedia
Tony Pittman is a former college American football
player. He was a 2nd Team All-Big Ten cornerback
at Penn State
after graduating from Phillips Academy
(Andover, Massachusetts
) in 1990. Tony Pittman grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania and also attended McDowell High School, where he would have been in the 1989 graduation class had he not transferred to Phillips Academy
.
in Andover, Massachusetts, Pittman was a member of Joe Paterno
's 1990 recruiting class, which also included Kerry Collins
and Kyle Brady
.
Pittman was the 1993 recipient of the The Jim O'Hora Award
. Each year, the award is presented to a defensive Penn State Nittany Lions football player for "exemplary conduct, loyalty, interest, attitude, and improvement" during spring practice each year. The award honors former Nittany Lion assistant coach Jim O'Hora who served the team for 31 years before retiring in 1977.
Pittman led the Nittany Lions in interceptions in 1993 with 5 and started all 12 games at cornerback for the undefeated, Rose Bowl
championship team in 1994.
starred as an All-American running back on the undefeated Penn State teams of 1968-1969.
Father and son were both starters for the Nittany Lions. Despite playing on three of Joe Paterno’s five undefeated teams, both were denied national championships that could have been awarded their teams, but were given to other squads.
Neither Tony Pittman or Charlie Pittman ever lost a game they started while at Penn State. Their combined college records are 45-0-1. In the sports world, that is almost a miraculous number. In elite college football, there is no father-son tandem better at their game, record-wise, than the Pittmans.
New York Giants
general manager Ernie Accorsi
, who spent decades guiding NFL
teams notes, “it’s unprecedented; it’s hard to believe,” Accorsi said. “That record for a father and son at the same university—and the son played in the Big Ten
—that is something mind boggling.”
Pittman is the host of two podcasts. Pittman and co-host Phil Collins have been creating, producing and hosting "The Penn State Football Podcast" since July 2005. He has also been co-hosting and starring in the "Real Tech for Real People" podcast since September 2009.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player. He was a 2nd Team All-Big Ten cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
at Penn State
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
after graduating from Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy is a selective, co-educational independent boarding high school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, along with a post-graduate year...
(Andover, Massachusetts
Andover, Massachusetts
Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1646 and as of the 2010 census, the population was 33,201...
) in 1990. Tony Pittman grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania and also attended McDowell High School, where he would have been in the 1989 graduation class had he not transferred to Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy is a selective, co-educational independent boarding high school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, along with a post-graduate year...
.
Collegiate career
Recruited out of Phillips AcademyPhillips Academy
Phillips Academy is a selective, co-educational independent boarding high school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, along with a post-graduate year...
in Andover, Massachusetts, Pittman was a member of Joe Paterno
Joe Paterno
Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno is a former college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for 46 years from 1966 through 2011. Paterno, nicknamed "JoePa," holds the record for the most victories by an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football coach with...
's 1990 recruiting class, which also included Kerry Collins
Kerry Collins
Kerry Michael Collins is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers with the fifth overall pick of the 1995 NFL Draft, the first choice in the franchise's history...
and Kyle Brady
Kyle Brady
Kyle James Brady is a former professional American football player. He played tight end for 13 seasons in the National Football League for the New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots. He was the Jets' first round draft choice in the 1995 NFL Draft...
.
Pittman was the 1993 recipient of the The Jim O'Hora Award
Jim O'Hora Award
The Jim O'Hora Award is presented to a defensive Penn State Nittany Lions football player for "exemplary conduct, loyalty, interest, attitude, and improvement" during spring practice each year...
. Each year, the award is presented to a defensive Penn State Nittany Lions football player for "exemplary conduct, loyalty, interest, attitude, and improvement" during spring practice each year. The award honors former Nittany Lion assistant coach Jim O'Hora who served the team for 31 years before retiring in 1977.
Pittman led the Nittany Lions in interceptions in 1993 with 5 and started all 12 games at cornerback for the undefeated, Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
championship team in 1994.
Father/son connections
Pittman's father Charlie PittmanCharlie Pittman
Charles Vernon Pittman is a former professional American football player. He was an All-American halfback at Penn State and played in the NFL for the St...
starred as an All-American running back on the undefeated Penn State teams of 1968-1969.
Father and son were both starters for the Nittany Lions. Despite playing on three of Joe Paterno’s five undefeated teams, both were denied national championships that could have been awarded their teams, but were given to other squads.
Neither Tony Pittman or Charlie Pittman ever lost a game they started while at Penn State. Their combined college records are 45-0-1. In the sports world, that is almost a miraculous number. In elite college football, there is no father-son tandem better at their game, record-wise, than the Pittmans.
New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
general manager Ernie Accorsi
Ernie Accorsi
Ernie Accorsi is the former General Manager of the NFL's New York Giants football team. Accorsi had held the position from January 8, 1998, when he took over for the legendary George Young until his retirement on January 16, 2007...
, who spent decades guiding NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
teams notes, “it’s unprecedented; it’s hard to believe,” Accorsi said. “That record for a father and son at the same university—and the son played in the Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
—that is something mind boggling.”
Personal
Pittman is currently a Supply Chain executive at Hewlett Packard. In 2007, he teamed up with his father Charlie to write Playing for Paterno, ISBN 1-60078-000-8, about their shared experiences as the first father/son to play for the legendary coach.Pittman is the host of two podcasts. Pittman and co-host Phil Collins have been creating, producing and hosting "The Penn State Football Podcast" since July 2005. He has also been co-hosting and starring in the "Real Tech for Real People" podcast since September 2009.
External links
- "Pittman, son release book", Daily AmericanDaily AmericanThe Daily American is a local paper for Somerset County, Pennsylvania. It features local news and sports articles for the county, as well as a daily prayer on the front page. This daily prayer, at one point, was read off at the beginning of each episode of the popular podcast, Keith and the Girl....
, August 25, 2007 - "Lions' Pittman hopes to duplicate father's success", The Daily CollegianThe Daily CollegianThe Daily Collegian may refer to:* The Daily Collegian , a student-operated newspaper at the University of Massachusetts Amherst* The Daily Collegian , a student-operated newspaper at the Pennsylvania State University...
, September 19, 1994 - A player's tribute to Joe Paterno's legacy, South Bend TribuneSouth Bend TribuneThe South Bend Tribune is a newspaper distributed in the Michiana region. There are five editions for distribution in southwestern lower Michigan, Mishawaka , Marshall County, and the South Bend Metro area. The South Bend Tribune has a daily circulation of 70,703 and Sunday circulation of...
, July 18. 2008 - "Pittman Selected to 1990's All Decade Team",NittanyAnthology.com